Doncaster

Doncaster's population grew in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in marriage, housing tenure and health.

The population passed 300,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Doncaster increased by 5.4%, from just under 287,000 to 302,000.

The addition of just under 16,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Doncaster was home to, on average, 3.8 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Yorkshire and The Humber, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Doncaster

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Doncaster increased by two years, from 38 to 40 years.

This industrial area had a slightly higher average age than Yorkshire and The Humber and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 8,100 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just under 7,000.

About 13% of people in Doncaster are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Doncaster by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer married people

Doncaster saw England's third-largest fall in the proportion of married people.

In 2011, just under one in two (47%) people aged 16 and over in Doncaster said they were married, compared with 54% in 2001. The percentage that said they were single increased from 26% to 32%.

England's largest decrease in the proportion of married people occurred in Lincoln (from 44% to 37%) followed by Welwyn Hatfield (from 51% to 45%).

The proportion of married people was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Doncaster residents that were unemployed increased from 4.2% to 5.8% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over one in two (52%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 50% in 2001. The percentage of Doncaster residents that were self-employed increased from 6.0% to 7.3%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 3.7% in 2001 to 4.9% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Doncaster increased by 1.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Doncaster, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

The percentage of households in Doncaster with only adult children living with their parents increased from 10% to 11% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just under 3 in 10 (30%) households had at least one dependent child, compared with 31% in 2001. The percentage of households in Doncaster without children increased from 59% to 60%.

The proportion of households with adult children living with their parents increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (which remained close to 9.3%). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.4% to 9.6%.

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

Doncaster saw Yorkshire and The Humber's third-largest rise in the proportion of privately rented homes.

In 2011, just over one in seven (15%) households in Doncaster rented privately, compared with 6.6% in 2001. The percentage of socially rented homes decreased from 21% to 18%.

Across the region, only Kingston upon Hull (from 12% to 20%) and Bradford (from 9.7% to 18%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of privately rented homes.

Every local authority area across Yorkshire and The Humber saw a rise in the proportion of privately rented homes, as the regional average grew from 9.1% to 16%.

Private renting in Doncaster increased by 8.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in Doncaster, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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